This truth or lie game has 64 cards which are for sorting between something that is true and something that is a lie or that is false. There is a game board to make it more exciting and also for working with a group of children. There are a few supporting worksheets. Please check out the images for more information.
Children tell lies for lots of reasons. Before working on those it is important that children know the difference between a lie and the truth.
This is an anxiety booklet to help children understand their anxiety and find ways to cope with it.
There are 30 pages in the booklet which covers scaling, fight/flight, vocabulary, the worry tree, real worries as opposed to hypothetical worries, worry plans, breathing techniques, mindfulness, coping strategies, negative thinking, self talk and much more.
There are pages for pupils to show what they have learnt so far and there is a quiz at the end of the booklet. There is also a diary to take away to log any worries. This is offered in two different ways to cater for different needs. It also has a monster scale and some mandala colouring sheets.
This is a friendship potion activity for young children. It is visually appealing with clear images to help the pupils understand the words.
Make up the cauldron and bin with the pockets. Cut out and laminate the bubble circles. Simply help the pupil sort out those good qualities for a friend and put them into the cauldron to make their friendship potion. All the others go into the bin. Discuss each bubble as you look at it to ensure understanding and relate to the pupil’s experience where possible.
When you have finished the sorting activity ask the pupil to decorate the body shape to look like a friend and put all the bubbles around the body shape to reinforce ‘What makes a good friend’.
Included in the friendship potion activity pack:
Cauldron with pocket
Bin with pocket
18 positive bubbles for friendship
18 negative bubbles for friendship
Body sheet
The wonderful benefit of having a printable downloadable planner is that you can choose how to set it up yourself. I would really recommend a ring binder so you can slot in those extra sheets when needed. You can choose how you want your planner to look.
What is included?
This is split into sections
Basic Planner
25 different covers covering several job roles plus a completely editable version. You need to download this to a laptop and open with Adobe reader to enable you to edit the Job title, date and your name.
Basic yearly planner with some quotes and tips
Communication
Catch up
Communication with parents
Communication with staff
Contacts list
Look after you (this has more content to enable you to look after your wellbeing this year)
5 a day for wellbeing
30 day positivity challenge
Doodle page
Funny things they say
Inspirational quotes (for logging your own)
Just Breathe – breathing exercises
Mandala colouring
Mindfulness colouring
Monitor your mood for the full year
My new skills
Positive thoughts
Proud moments
Reading happiness
Self care
Wake up
Personal and Records
Child profile
Class list
CPD record
Expenses mileage
Meeting notes
Notes
Overtime
Performance Management
Personal information
Referred children list
Resource list
Plan your time
Daily plan
Display planning
To do today
To do this week
Topic mind map
Useful websites
Weekly plan
Year at a glance
Planning and Assessment
Anger de-escalation
Filling in games
Group assessment sheet
Group attendance record
Group planning
Individual assessment record
Individual attendance record
Individual planning
Intervention groups
List of common emotions
Smart planning
Social skills
Social story planning
Note paper
"The resources are brilliant, they re
This is ELSA Support’s Twinkle and shine self esteem intervention for young children. It is written for children from approx. 4 to 6 but could be used with 7 year olds too.
The Self-esteem intervention is for a group of 4 children and is led by an ELSA or a teaching assistant. It covers emotions, relaxation, calming down techniques and learning objectives around self-esteem. It runs for approximately 30-40 minutes, weekly for six weeks. There are also tips for areas of provision to continue or reinforce the learning done in the intervention group. There are lots of visuals, circle times and group activities along with lots of expression through drawing.
Children will learn about emotions during each session and will also learn relaxation and calming techniques through the ‘relaxation time’. This knowledge and these skills will help them to become more emotionally literate. The coming together of a group fosters a sense of belonging and contributes towards higher self-esteem. Every opportunity should be taken to promote belonging and friendship.
This Twinkle and shine self esteem intervention follows this structure
Welcome and emotional register– welcome the pupils to the group, go over the circle time rules and talk about how they feel today.
Warm up – This is a song they will sing right through every session to help them Twinkle and shine!
Activity – this is where the pupils work on the learning objective.
Relaxation/Mindfulness – pupils are more ready to go back to class if they are relaxed and calm. This also teaches them valuable coping/relaxation skills.
Areas of provision – these are suggestions to continue learning in class
Review of the session – pupils talk about their learning experience and fill in their star on the building block.
The pack contains the following:
Twinkle and shine planning – six sessions of fully resources planning with suggestions on what to say
Building blocks to self esteem – children will colour one star in at a time until they build their self esteem
Circle time song – Twinkle and shine sung to the tune of ‘Frere Jacque’
Certificate for the end of the sessions
I am special because I am different worksheet
Butterfly visual
My house
Paintpot visual
Family and friends game
Family and friends tree
Turtle shell visual
Things I am good at
Snowman visual
Proud cloud
Superhero pose visual
Grow happy feelings
Floating on a cloud visual
Circle time rules
Feelings wheel
Shout outs
Resources
This pack contains all the printable resources you will need for each lesson. There are other easy to find items needed and each lesson plan has a list of items you will need. These things are simple such as a mirror, and colouring pencils/pens.
This includes 2 stories, a male version and a female version. The children are worried about going to school and don’t want to separate from their mum. This will help children suffering from School separation anxiety.
Included in the pack:
George doesn’t want to go to school Story PowerPoint (36 slides)
George doesn’t want to go to school Story PDF (36 pages)
Isla doesn’t want to go to school Story PowerPoint (36 slides)
Isla doesn’t want to go to school Story PDF (36 pages)
11 worksheets including – My morning routine, Weird things that happen to my body, A time I felt upset and cried, A time I felt angry, A time I felt scared, Delaying tactics, What if monsters, What if bubbles, A special memory, Fun times at school, My separation plan.
Booklet of questions to ask about the stories.
A pre and post anxiety scale
Strength cards for older pupils. This is a huge set of cards displaying over 100 different strengths and talents. Perfect for work on self esteem. There is also a list of 30 ways on how to use them along with some useful questions on the cards and on the back of the cards. Choose one or two questions to ask the pupil.
Strength cards are an amazing tool for self esteem. You don’t have to use all of the cards but I would suggest you get them all printed, laminated and use a handful you think are relevant to the pupil(s) you are working with.
This is a worry train express, a way for younger pupils or pupils with an interest in trains to manage their worries.
It consists of a train with two carriages. The train has a window and some emojis that the pupil can stick into the window to represent how worried they are.
One carriage is for the pupil’s worries. They can write or draw on the tickets.
The other carriage has calming strategies. There are six to try and there are tickets for pupils to come up with their own.
There are two stations to visit. The first station is where worries are talked about and decisions made on whether this worry is in their control or not in their control. They can make a plan if it is in their control(there is a sheet available for writing or drawing).
If the worry is not in their control they continue to the next station where they can leave their worry at the station. The emoji can be changed at this point to perhaps a ‘happy face’.
Benefits of the worry train express
It is fun and engaging
Pupils can offload their worries
They can learn some calming strategies
They can learn about control and planning
They can learn to let go of their worries
Pupils will learn facial expressions and some vocabulary around worries
Other uses for this resource
Print the PDF larger and make it up as a wall display, all the pupils in your group could add their worries to the carriage.
Resource from ELSA SUPPORT
Print out the skin tone that you require. This resource has five different skin tones to suit all children. There are also 15 different sets of eyes and mouths and a set of emotions vocabulary flash cards. Laminate all the pieces and keep in a zipped bag for convenience. The aim of this resource is for children to begin to recognise facial expressions and talk about their feelings. It is excellent for children on the autistic spectrum. This resource is also very good for early years settings and can be put into an area of provision, allowing children to experiment and make different faces. Can they match the eyes to the mouth? Can they tell you what the expression is that they have made? Parents would also find this resource helpful for their preschool children.
Questions you could ask – can you make me a ‘angry face’? What would ‘angry’ eyes look like? What would ‘sad’ eyes look like? Can you make me a ‘sad face’? Also use other vocabulary such as ‘miserable, frustrated, terrified, proud’.
There are so many possibilities for working with this resource. The cards could be used as a matching pairs game. Lay out all the cards and ask a child to choose a mouth and eyes that match – name the emotion.
Use the face (laminated) for drawing emotion faces. Put it alongside a mirror so children can make faces themselves.
Use the angry eyes and mouth to discuss anger and how to recognise when they are becoming angry. What makes them angry? What could they do when they are angry?
Pick an emotions flashcard(included with the pack) and make the appropriate face.
These are our unwind the mind activity mats.
These mats are a combination of working on the particular topic – e.g. be brave and mighty and relaxation activities through refocusing attention. There are puzzles, mindful colouring, drawing, creating patterns and a little writing.
You can print them A4 but also if you want them bigger, use your printer settings and print them on A3 paper.
These are suitable for KS2 and most of them for secondary too.
These unwind the mind activity mats are perfect for
Before or after SATs or tests
Ending your session
Beginning your session
Morning routine whole class activity
When things are winding down at the end of term
Calming corners
Homework
Transition times
Any stressful situations
We have the following 10 mats along with answer sheets where needed
Be joyful
Be mindful
Be calm
Be positive
Be brave and mighty
Be kind
Be caring to yourself
Be determined
Be friendly
Be proud
Benefits of unwind the mind mats
Both puzzles and mindful colouring are calming activities that can help children relax and unwind after a busy day or during stressful times. Engaging in these activities encourages deep breathing and fosters a sense of peace and tranquillity.
Solving puzzles and colouring mindfully can act as effective stress-relief techniques for children. By focusing their attention on the task at hand, children can temporarily shift their focus away from worries and anxieties, promoting a sense of calmness and emotional well-being.
Puzzles and mindful colouring require children to concentrate and pay attention to details, which can help improve their concentration and focus over time. These activities encourage children to stay engaged in the present moment, enhancing their ability to sustain attention and ignore distractions.
Puzzles can provide children with opportunities to exercise their problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities. By deciphering clues, finding patterns, and making logical deductions, children can develop important cognitive skills that are essential for academic success.
Mindful colouring allows children to express themselves creatively and explore their imagination through colours and designs. It provides a non-verbal outlet for self-expression, allowing children to convey their emotions and feelings in a safe and therapeutic manner.
Successfully completing puzzles and creating beautiful artwork through mindful colouring can boost children’s self-esteem and confidence. Accomplishing challenging tasks and seeing tangible results can instil a sense of pride and accomplishment in children, reinforcing their belief in their abilities.
There are lots more benefits to these activity mats.
In this booklet, pupils will embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection as they learn about finding common ground, showing respect, practising inclusion, cultivating empathy, understanding the importance of friendships, recognising their own qualities that make them deserving of friends, and the power of apologising when mistakes are made.
Our goal is to provide a safe and engaging space for pupils to explore these themes through activities, and discussions. By fostering a deeper understanding of friendship and the values that underpin it, we aim to empower children to build strong, supportive, and inclusive friendships that enrich their lives.
There are 30 pages to the workbook.
You can of course use the workbook as it is or if you just want to address certain areas then just print out those areas to work with.
The intervention
Who is if for?
This Anxiety and Worries Group intervention is for a group of up to six children and is led by a teaching assistant. The focus age range would be 7 to 11, although older pupils would probably benefit from this intervention. Children who worry a lot would be a good focus group for this intervention. It runs for approximately 40-60 minutes, weekly for six weeks.
What does it cover?
This Anxiety and Worries Group intervention covers emotions, relaxation, calming down techniques and learning objectives around anxiety and worries. Children will learn about emotions during each session and will also learn relaxation and calming techniques through the ‘relaxation time’. This knowledge and these skills will help them to become more emotionally literate. The warm-up games teach a variety of skills such as co-operation, team work, taking turns, communication skills, friendship, self-esteem and confidence. The coming together of a group fosters a sense of belonging and therefore raises self-esteem. Every opportunity should be taken to promote belonging and friendship. Relaxation exercises will help children to manage their anxiety and these are visited each session.
Information on Anxieties and worries
It is important to mention that anxiety is such a big problem and affects people in different ways and at different things. Sometimes there appears to be no reason for the anxiety. This intervention is about giving children the knowledge to help themselves and to gain a little understanding about what anxiety is. It is NOT about fixing children’s problems but about supporting them through their problems. Anxiety work needs to be done by professionals who have training in counselling or psychology. An ELSA or TA can offer knowledge and support and it is important that this line is not crossed and boundaries are clear. By giving children the self-awareness, knowledge and some relaxation skills you are empowering them to help themselves cope. If you are ever worried about a child then please do refer them on to professional services so they can get the help they need.
What’s included in the pack?
A planning booklet with 6 session plans.
Circle time rules
Warm up games for circle-time
Assessments
Emotion wheels
Emotion wordmat
Certificates
Five Star Breathing poster
NEEDS to know Poster
Emotion cards
NEEDS to know cards
Anxiety physical symptoms cards
Where in your body worksheet
Anxiety cards
Coping strategies poster
Worry tree
Thought bubbles (ants)
Changing those thoughts worksheet
Zap anxiety poster
My Five a day plan
ELSA/Teaching Assistant notes
This game consists of:
A game board
Star cards
Bingo boards
Social skills questions (3 questions on 18 cards, 54 questions altogether)
Friendship questions (3 questions on 18 cards, 54 questions altogether)
Self-esteem questions (3 questions on 18 cards, 54 questions altogether)
Emotions questions (3 questions on 18 cards, 54 questions altogether)
Instructions
You will need a die and a counter for each child.
The game can be played with a group of children or you can just use the cards for working one to one with a child. You could also use the cards during whole class circle time activities.
The game will promote the following skills:
Turn taking
Sharing
Speaking
Listening
Friendship skills
Social Skills
Emotional awareness
Self-esteem
Resilience
Fairness
Co-operation
Peer learning
ANTS Automatic Negative Thoughts game. ANTs are the spontaneous, habitual, and often irrational thoughts that creep into our minds in response to various situations and triggers. These thoughts can significantly impact our emotional well-being and overall mental health.
This game will help pupils to recognise those ANTs and will help them to reframe their thinking so they are more positive.
Included in the ANTS automatic negative thoughts game:
Game board (print A3)
Change it cards – 8 of each type of ANT – 64 in total
ANTs cards – 2 sets of 8 – one with their names and one without
Positive affirmation cards – 16 cards
Editable ‘Change it and Positive affirmation cards’) for you to add your own if needed. This is especially relevant for secondary pupils. This is editable in POWERPOINT so please ensure you have that installed if you want to edit the cards.
ANTS covered in this pack:
Emotional Edna – thinks with her feelings. eg. I FEEL hopeless, I FEEL like a failure.
Fortune Teller Felicity – predicts the worst outcome e.g. I can’t win the race!, I will come last!
Guilty Gertrude – Uses the word should and then feels guilty – eg. I should have done my homework, I should have done some exercise.
All or nothing Audrey – uses words like always, never, every. Eg. I always lose, I never have anyone to play with.
Blaming Barry – blames everyone else – eg. It’s your fault I slept in, It’s your fault I feel angry!
Mind Reader Mavis – thinks he can read other people’s minds – eg. He must be laughing at me, I know she hates me!
Labelling Lawrence – calls himself and others names – eg I am such a loser, She is such an idiot!
Negative Nancy – ignores the positives and only sees the negative – I only came second in the race, I only got one sticker today.
This growth mindset intervention can be run as a whole class, or group. The lessons will take 40 mins to an hour and are suitable for children from about 7 years old.
Learning Objectives:
M – I understand how making MISTAKES can help me learn.
I – I understand how seeing success can INSPIRE me.
N – I understand the importance of the words ‘NOT YET‘.
D – I understand what it means to be DETERMINED.
S – I can celebrate SUCCESS and understand how that makes me feel.
E – I understand that EVERYONE is different but that EVERYONE has the potential to succeed.
T – I know how important it is to THINK positively and have a ‘can do’ attitude to learning.
Included in the pack:
7 lessons, each corresponding to a letter from ‘MINDSET’.
‘A mistake that made my brain sparkle and grow’ worksheet.
‘Who inspires you? Who is your hero?’ worksheet.
‘My Goal’ worksheet
‘Questionnaire’ and ‘Bookmarks’.
‘What have you been successful at?’ worksheet.
2 different puzzle pieces
Everyone is different poster
Display heading
Rubbish bin/Treasure chest
Positive/negative cards for sorting
Mindset certificate
7 Posters 'Mindset'
This is our Coping skills toolkit for emotional regulation. Perfect for ELSA Support. There is a handy little pouch and lots of resources that will help pupils with their emotional regulation.
Each pupil could be given one of these. Go through the cards and decide which emojis to put in and which calming cards to put in. Each pupil could have their own bespoke toolkit.
Included in the coping skills toolkit
24 Emoji face cards
33 Coping, calming and mindfulness cards
Worry tree card
Circle of control card
Affirmations card
Anger feeling words and physical sensations card
Sadness feeling words and physical sensations card
Anxiety feeling words and physical sensations card
Scared feeling words and physical sensations words
Self care for wellbeing card
All these resources are in one handy file so you can print what you need.
This intervention is written for a group of four pupils and is led by an ELSA or teaching assistant. It covers emotions, relaxation and lessons around worries. It runs for approximately 40 minutes. This intervention is aimed at 5 to 7 year olds.
This intervention follows this structure
Welcome and emotional register– welcome the pupils to the group, go over the circle time rules and talk about how they feel today.
Activity – this is where the pupils work on the learning objective.
Relaxation/Mindfulness – pupils are more ready to go back to class if they are relaxed and calm. This also teaches them valuable coping/relaxation skills.
Review of the session – pupils talk about their learning experience.
There are lots of resources in this pack and LOTS of visuals to help children to understand.
Lesson objectives
Lesson 1 – I can tell you what a worried face looks like
Lesson 2 – I can understand how worries can make my body feel uncomfortable
Lesson 3 – I can tell you if my worry is a BIG or a SMALL worry
Lesson 4 – I can understand how my thoughts can make me feel uncomfortable
Lesson 5 – I know some ways to calm myself down
Lesson 6 – I can park my worries and make a plan
This intervention is written for a group of six children and is led by an ELSA or teaching assistant. It covers recognising, labelling and expressing the six basic emotions. It is written for children from 4-7 but could also be useful for children with autism or special needs. The sessions last for approximately 40 to 60 minutes.
The intervention covers the six basic emotions of happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised and disgusted.
A pre and post assessment is filled in by the class teacher at the beginning and end of the intervention. The assessments we use are enclosed with this pack. These assessments cover other areas of emotional literacy and social skills but are a good indicator of any other problems that the child may have. Please choose which ones you want to use. You may have other generic assessments that you use but it is important to try and track progress however you choose to do it. Often when a child takes part in this type of intervention other skills are developed too. For example social skills, sharing, co-operating, teamwork and self-esteem to name a few. It is a good idea to keep a book, like a learning journey to stick the children’s work in. This is a brilliant way of sharing with parents and teachers things that the children are doing with you.
All the paper resources are included in this pack. You will need a large sheet of paper for week 6 and a cuddly teddy and hoops for week 2.
Learning objectives are as follows:
I can recognise and name the six basic emotions
I can understand the reasons why I might feel different emotions
I can give examples of when I felt happy and sad
I can give examples of when I felt angry and scared
I can give examples of when I felt surprised and disgusted
I can tell you about some of the physical sensations I get when I feel an emotion
This is a Primary School Memory Book for Year 6 children to work on independently. This year children probably won’t get the chance to do transition work like they normally do so this booklet may help to remember the good times at Primary before moving onto Secondary School.
There are 69 pages in the book which is in colour and in black and white.
So many areas covered. You might want to choose the pages to print off or you might want to print them all out.